Laser device

Abstract

A laser device includes element circuits, a front optical system, and a reflective optical system. The front optical system forms a plurality of light beams by collimating a plurality of phase modulated light signals input from the element circuits, and generate a plurality of partially reflected light signals by partially reflecting the plurality of phase modulated light signals. The reflective optical system multiplexes the input local oscillation light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the local oscillation light in a direction of the front optical system. The element circuits can convert each of a plurality of interference light signals generated by multiplexing of the plurality of partially reflected light signals and the local oscillation light into a plurality of electric signals, and can detect a phase error between the plurality of electric signals and a reference signal.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A laser device comprising:
 a light distributor distributing reference laser light into local oscillation light and a plurality of light signals; 
 a plurality of optical phase controllers generating a plurality of phase control light signals by performing variable phase control on each of the plurality of light signals in accordance with a plurality of input light phase control signals; 
 a plurality of light amplifiers generating a plurality of amplified light signals by amplifying the plurality of phase control light signals; 
 a front optical system forming a plurality of light beams by collimating the plurality of amplified light signals and generating a plurality of partially reflected light signals propagating in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of light beams by partially reflecting the plurality of amplified light signals; 
 a reflective optical system multiplexing the local oscillation light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the local oscillation light input from the light distributor in a direction of the front optical system; 
 a plurality of photodetectors converting each of a plurality of interference light signals generated by multiplexing of the plurality of partially reflected light signals and the local oscillation light into a plurality of electric signals; and 
 a plurality of phase locked loops generating, as the plurality of light phase control signals, a plurality of control signals for causing the plurality of optical phase controllers to compensate for phase errors between the plurality of electric signals and a reference signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The laser device according to  claim 1 , wherein the front optical system includes a partial reflector generating the plurality of partially reflected light signals. 
     
     
       3. The laser device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the front optical system includes a plurality of optical collimators collimating the plurality of phase control light signals, and 
 the partial reflector generates the plurality of partially reflected light signals by partially reflecting light outputs of the plurality of optical collimators. 
 
     
     
       4. The laser device according to  claim 1 , wherein the front optical system includes a plurality of optical connectors generating the plurality of partially reflected light signals by causing Fresnel reflection of the plurality of phase control light signals. 
     
     
       5. The laser device according to  claim 4 , wherein the front optical system further includes a plurality of collimator lenses forming the plurality of light beams by collimating light outputs of the plurality of optical connectors. 
     
     
       6. The laser device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a spatial light modulator generating spatially modulated light by spatially modulating the local oscillation light input from the light distributor, wherein 
 the reflective optical system multiplexes the spatially modulated light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the spatially modulated light in a direction of the front optical system. 
 
     
     
       7. The laser device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of optical fibers propagating the plurality of phase control light signals to the front optical system and propagating the plurality of interference light signals in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of phase control light signals; and 
 a plurality of light circulators separating the plurality of phase control light signals and the plurality of interference light signals from each other. 
 
     
     
       8. The laser device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective optical system includes an optical beam splitter reflecting the local oscillation light in a direction of the front optical system. 
     
     
       9. A laser device comprising:
 a light distributor distributing reference laser light into local oscillation light and a plurality of light signals; 
 a plurality of light amplifiers generating a plurality of amplified light signals by amplifying the plurality of light signals; 
 a plurality of optical phase controllers generating a plurality of phase control light signals by performing variable phase control on each of the plurality of amplified light signals in accordance with a plurality of input light phase control signals; 
 a front optical system forming a plurality of light beams by collimating the plurality of phase control light signals and generating a plurality of partially reflected light signals propagating in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of light beams by partially reflecting the plurality of phase control light signals; 
 a reflective optical system multiplexing the local oscillation light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the local oscillation light input from the light distributor in a direction of the front optical system; 
 a plurality of photodetectors converting each of a plurality of interference light signals generated by multiplexing of the plurality of partially reflected light signals and the local oscillation light into a plurality of electric signals; and 
 a plurality of phase locked loops generating, as the plurality of light phase control signals, a plurality of control signals for causing the plurality of optical phase controllers to compensate for phase errors between the plurality of electric signals and a reference signal. 
 
     
     
       10. A laser device comprising:
 a plurality of circuit arrays each including a plurality of optical phase controllers, a plurality of light amplifiers, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of phase locked loops; 
 a light distributor distributing reference laser light into local oscillation light and a plurality of light signals to be supplied to each of the plurality of circuit arrays; 
 a plurality of front optical systems respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of circuit arrays; and 
 a reflective optical system, wherein 
 the plurality of optical phase controllers generates a plurality of phase control light signals by performing variable phase control on each of the plurality of light signals in accordance with a plurality of input light phase control signals, 
 the plurality of light amplifiers generates a plurality of amplified light signals by amplifying the plurality of phase control light signals, 
 each of the plurality of front optical systems forms a plurality of light beams by collimating the plurality of amplified light signals and generates a plurality of partially reflected light signals propagating in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of light beams by partially reflecting the plurality of amplified light signals, 
 the reflective optical system multiplexes the local oscillation light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the local oscillation light input from the light distributor in a direction of each of the front optical systems, 
 the plurality of photodetectors converts each of a plurality of interference light signals generated by multiplexing of the plurality of partially reflected light signals and the local oscillation light into a plurality of electric signals, and 
 the plurality of phase locked loops generates, as the plurality of light phase control signals, a plurality of control signals for causing the plurality of optical phase controllers to compensate for phase errors between the plurality of electric signals and a reference signal. 
 
     
     
       11. The laser device according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the front optical systems includes a partial reflector generating the plurality of partially reflected light signals. 
     
     
       12. The laser device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 each of the front optical systems includes a plurality of optical collimators collimating the plurality of phase control light signals, and 
 the partial reflector generates the plurality of partially reflected light signals by partially reflecting light outputs of the plurality of optical collimators. 
 
     
     
       13. The laser device according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the front optical systems includes a plurality of optical connectors generating the plurality of partially reflected light signals by causing Fresnel reflection of the plurality of phase control light signals. 
     
     
       14. The laser device according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the front optical systems further includes a plurality of collimator lenses forming the plurality of light beams by collimating light outputs of the plurality of optical connectors. 
     
     
       15. The laser device according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a spatial light modulator generating spatially modulated light by spatially modulating the local oscillation light input from the light distributor, wherein 
 the reflective optical system multiplexes the spatially modulated light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the spatially modulated light in a direction of each of the front optical systems. 
 
     
     
       16. The laser device according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a plurality of optical fibers propagating the plurality of phase control light signals to each of the front optical systems and propagating the plurality of interference light signals in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of phase control light signals; and 
 a plurality of light circulators separating the plurality of phase control light signals and the plurality of interference light signals from each other. 
 
     
     
       17. The laser device according to  claim 10 , wherein the reflective optical system includes an optical beam splitter reflecting the local oscillation light in a direction of each of the front optical systems. 
     
     
       18. A laser device comprising:
 a plurality of circuit arrays each including a plurality of light amplifiers, a plurality of optical phase controllers, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of phase locked loops; 
 a light distributor distributing reference laser light into local oscillation light and a plurality of light signals to be supplied to each of the plurality of circuit arrays; 
 a plurality of front optical systems respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of circuit arrays; and 
 a reflective optical system, wherein 
 the plurality of light amplifiers generates a plurality of amplified light signals by amplifying the plurality of light signals, 
 the plurality of optical phase controllers generates a plurality of phase control light signals by performing variable phase control on each of the plurality of amplified light signals in accordance with a plurality of input light phase control signals, 
 the plurality of light amplifiers generates a plurality of amplified light signals by amplifying the plurality of phase control light signals, 
 each of the plurality of front optical systems forms a plurality of light beams by collimating the plurality of amplified light signals and generates a plurality of partially reflected light signals propagating in a direction opposite to a propagation direction of the plurality of light beams by partially reflecting the plurality of amplified light signals, 
 the reflective optical system multiplexes the local oscillation light with the plurality of partially reflected light signals by reflecting the local oscillation light input from the light distributor in a direction of each of the front optical systems, 
 the plurality of photodetectors converts each of a plurality of interference light signals generated by multiplexing of the plurality of partially reflected light signals and the local oscillation light into a plurality of electric signals, and 
 the plurality of phase locked loops generates, as the plurality of light phase control signals, a plurality of control signals for causing the plurality of optical phase controllers to compensate for phase errors between the plurality of electric signals and a reference signal.